Published: July 07, 2008 08:27 am            

Leading by example

Neighbors July 5, 2008

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By Bobbie Poynter / Community Editor

Grade school students beamed with pride as they showed off bright gold and silver stars teachers attached to their assignments and report cards. Now, as adults, these same men and women beam once again as they receive their gold and silver stars, each representing a newly-achieved weight loss goal, from Lisa, their Weight Watchers leader.

Lisa Creech, 38, of Keavy became the leader for the Corbin Weight Watchers in September 2007. Ever since, Lisa has been the inspiration, motivator and role model for the many people looking for someone to help them get their bodies and confidence back into shape.

After becoming a lifetime member of Weight Watchers (someone who has reached his weight loss goal), Lisa was approached by her leader, Kathy Faher, and asked if she was interested in becoming one herself.

“Being who I am, I jumped at the chance,” said Lisa. “The Corbin meeting was in need of a leader, and since that was where I first met my goal and had also made a lot of friends, it just felt right.”

Like her members listening with anticipation through each meeting, Lisa has had to face her own demons in order to get to where she is today.

She joined Weight Watchers after having her second child and returning to work. She tried her own way to lose the baby weight, but struggled to get rid of those last pesky 20 pounds.

After seeing a commercial for Weight Watchers, Lisa decided to check out a meeting and see what it was all about. From that point on, Lisa began losing one or two pounds a week until she had finally lost 25 pounds.

“I was thrilled to finally make my goal,” she said, “The real trouble came after. I honestly believed I could take it from there and make it on my own, but boy was I wrong. I found I needed to be in my meeting. I needed that extra motivation and camaraderie that I found with my leader and the other members. So I got back on track and have been attending weekly or monthly meetings ever since.”

Lisa still struggles to this day, and it is not always easy as she loves food and thoroughly enjoys cooking and entertaining.

However, besides her friends and fellow meeting members, Lisa has a secret weapon in her younger son, Jesse, who is always there to help keep his mother on track.

“Mom, that’s not on your diet,” Jesse will remind his mother whenever he catches her succumbing to temptation.

But with failure comes success. Lisa’s memorable moment was the time someone came straight out and asked her why she even needed Weight Watchers, to which she laughingly replied, “See, Weight Watchers works!”

Lisa understands the ups and downs her members go through every day. For that reason, she runs her weekly meetings with compassion, energy, and a large dose of humor. This includes decorating and dressing for the occasion, be it a holiday or special occasion. She’ll take on the persona of a wacky character, drawing laughs and teasing from across the room, anything to draw and keep the attention of her fellow members.

“I love my meetings,” said Lisa. “I’m continually motivated by my members as I see how awesome they are doing and how excited they are, and that excitement is contagious. We have already had several members that have lost over 100 pounds with Weight Watchers and many more that are well on their way.”

Lisa explained that Weight Watchers trains its leaders to run their meetings in much the same way as the founder, Jean Nidetch, ran her first meetings in 1961 from her living room. Men and women are encouraged to talk about their weight loss triumphs and failures. Lisa’s members share different ways of cooking, eating, exercising and living with the recommended plans.

A special story Lisa said she would never forget was told during one occasion when some of the members were discussing how their lives had changed since joining Weight Watchers.

“One of our members had lost over 100 pounds and, with tears in her eyes, told the group that just walking into Wal-Mart was different for her now, because before it just took so much out of her, and now she does it with ease.

“And I just love it,” said Lisa as a smile lit up her face. “That’s what keeps me going. I’m ready to come back every week and help my members succeed. My own mentor is Penny Rusnik in London. She has been such a great supporter and has taught me so much. I can only hope to be the leader she is.”

Lisa and Eric, her husband of 20 years, live in Keavy with their two sons, Jonathan, 16, and Jesse, 6. Lisa and Eric are the third-generation owners of Creech Tile Company in Corbin.

Lisa was born in Indianapolis, Ind. Her family moved to Laurel County when she was in the fifth grade, and she went on to graduate from Laurel County High School in 1986. She is the daughter of Ben Sellards of London and Linda Terrell of Corbin and has a younger brother, Jeff Sellards.

She is a member of Central Baptist Church and recently joined the Kentucky Harvest Association, which is starting a new chapter in the near future.

Lisa has been an account executive for WKDP and WCTT radio stations for five years.

“I enjoy my job and can’t imagine myself doing anything else,” said Lisa. “I love the people I work with and my customers. I am a people person and both my jobs allow me to meet new friends.”

Corbin Weight Watchers meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the First Baptist Church on Roy Kidd Ave. in Corbin.

        

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